Ripple Effect
by Lychee Green Tea
Summary: Season 2 AU. Like the ever expanding ripples across the water, the course of time itself can change drastically simply from one initial event, in which Tai Kamiya is trapped in the Digital World for six years. Sorato, Koumi, and hints of Takari.
1. Prologue

Wow, hah! I haven't written anything in ages...and when I say ages, I seriously mean _ages_. I believe this is my first Digimon fanfiction, but this idea sorta popped into my head a while ago, so I decided to write it. I had this sudden wave of nostalgia hit me a long time ago, so I rewatched a bunch of Digimon episodes from all four seasons, and I was once again hooked! I do know that there is a fifth season now, but I've never really gotten around to that. It just doesn't feel the same as rewatching one of your favorite childhood television shows!

Now, I won't actually have many of the new characters from season 2. I don't have anything against these characters, but I wanted to further demonstrate how much things can change just from one seemingly insignificant event happening in the timeline. Of course, Tai is obviously not insignificant, haha! As for couples, I'm mainly sticking with Sorato (Matt and Sora), Koumi (Izzy and Mimi), and possibly little hints of Takari (TK and Kari). I may or may not add a little bit of Taiora (Tai and Sora) just to put in a love triangle, but it might just be one-sided. I haven't quite decided yet.

So without further ado, please enjoy! Oh, and ya wanna give a little love in the form of a review?

**Prologue**

The apartment complex that the nineteen year old male had just moved into was, for the most part, completely bare. Since he had just moved out of his parents' home for his very first year of post-secondary, he barely owned any furniture or household items except for a bed, a dresser, and the fridge, stove, and washing machines that had come with the apartment. However, the red-head was just starting out at his new and independent life, so no one could really blame him.

Izzy Izumi had designated the room beside his bedroom as his office, and it was the only room that was completely filled with boxes of all sorts of electronics that had yet to be unpacked. He wasn't occupying himself with the exasperating chores of just moving into a new home though, he was furiously typing away on the keyboard in front of his monitor. Known as a workaholic among his friends and family, it actually wasn't too surprising.

Izzy was so engrossed in his work that he didn't even notice the knocking at the door for at least five minutes, or how the lock made a sound as though a key had been inserted into it, or how someone walked through the front door carrying armfuls of plastic bags.

"Izzy! I know you're here, so I just let myself in!" a distinctly feminine voice called out into what had been a silent apartment.

The red-head jumped out of surprise and stopped what he was doing immediately. He turned around in his chair slowly, only to hear a bunch of noises outside of his office.

"Uh…," he started hesitantly, "hey Meems…I'm in here," he finished, and chuckled nervously to himself. Mimi Tachikawa had appeared to be in a good mood, but he knew from experience that she would be fuming when she found out that he was once again working on his…

"Well I figured that much out! I already had a feeling that, unlike _normal_ people who have just moved in to a brand new apartment, you would be working," she stated simply without missing a single beat. "Come on out already! I don't have all day!"

Izzy sighed and took one last glance at his computer. The program he was working on was in the middle of updating a new sequence of coding he had just finished, so it was going to take some time anyways. Upon closer inspection into the surface of the monitor, he could see his reflection, and he really wished that his hair didn't look that bad. He quickly tried to fix it with his fingers, and once he was satisfied, he straightened out his shirt and walked out the door.

"Hey Mimi I…wow," was the only thing he was capable of saying when he saw the enormous bag on the floor of his empty living room. "What's all that?"

"Well, I decided to stop by a couple places when I was on my way here," Mimi said as she rummaged through it. "I noticed you didn't have any trash cans last night, and it was really annoying having to put everything into an overstuffed plastic bag that had holes in it, so I bought you trash cans," she said cheerily as she took them out.

"Wow…uh…they're great, Meems! You really didn't have to though…," he trailed off.

"What do you mean I didn't have to? If I didn't, you definitely wouldn't have, and your parents aren't coming by for another four days! How can you live without trash cans?" Mimi asked him as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Izzy didn't know what to say, and he couldn't help but laugh a little at Mimi's endearing antics. If he had to be honest with himself, he wouldn't know what to do with himself without her to boss him around and keep him in line.

"Oh! And I bought groceries too! I figured that I might as well make some real food while I'm here. I won't stand to eat take-out again."

Izzy didn't say anything as he walked into the kitchen, and noticed that the counter was already piled high with bags and bags of groceries. He never mentioned how he was only one person and probably wouldn't be able to eat everything before it spoiled. He turned around and looked at the woman setting the trash cans in various spots around his apartment and smiled to himself.

"I've gotta be the luckiest guy on Earth," he said to himself, almost positive that she couldn't hear him. When he looked through the bags and noticed a carton of eggs, he couldn't help but feel nostalgic as he remembered back to all those years ago when the Digidestined were still in the Digital World and had to survive off of eggs for so many nights. He absentmindedly picked up a bowl that had been neatly stacked on the countertop to start cooking, but paused when he realized…he didn't own any bowls.

Izzy could hear the only other occupant in his apartment clear her throat very loudly.

"Thanks, Mimi, for putting in so much of your time and effort into buying me all of this when I am in need of your help the most! Thanks, Mimi, for picking everything in a design that I would like, instead of something pink and flowery! You are such a _great_ and _wonderful_ girlfriend!" Mimi gritted through her teeth.

"Oh, uh, thanks Mimi! The bowls are…they're very nice. I really like them a lot!" Izzy tried to say as appreciatively as humanly possible.

"Uh huh," Mimi drawled with a raised eyebrow. She walked towards him and wrapped her arms around him, and she could feel him do the same. She rested her head on his chest, marveling at how tall Izzy had grown since they first met. "You're right. You are the luckiest guy on Earth."

Izzy blushed in a deep shade of red, hoping that she couldn't see his face at the moment.

"Uh…you heard that, huh?"

Mimi didn't say anything; she just looked up and smiled brilliantly at him. He couldn't help but return the smile; her happiness really was contagious.

They simply stood there holding each other, forgetting everything around them. The only thing that mattered at the moment was each other, and that they had the chance to be together like this. To a lot of people, they may have seemed like an odd couple, and while it was true, it didn't really matter. Their personalities were contrasting, but not to the point that they couldn't stand each other. Izzy and Mimi still had so many similarities that their differences only complemented each other. They were the yin to each other's yang.

"Hey Izzy?" Mimi asked after a while, breaking the silence.

"Hmm?" he responded lazily, still stuck in a slight daze after enjoying his time relaxing, not working as he always did.

"I noticed what you were working on."

And just like that, he was out of his trance-like state. He looked to the side and stared at the floor, his mouth set into a thin line.

"So?" he replied nonchalantly.

"Izzy…," Mimi started, but she was cut off.

"He's counting on me."

"I know that, Izzy, but it's been years. Six years, to be exact. We don't even know if he's…," Mimi tried to say, but she found that she couldn't bring herself to do so.

"No. Tai's strong. If anyone could survive being in the Digital World for six years, it's him," Izzy said with determination. He looked Mimi in the eye. "I'm the only one of us who can open that gate, and I'm getting closer and closer each time I try. Besides, he's not the only one counting on me. Everyone is."

"And everyone appreciates what you're doing, especially Kari. But you're only one person, and it's been so long. I'm not telling you to give up on Tai. I want him back home safe and sound as much as you do, but you're spending so much time on getting that gate open that you're a mess now. You don't eat properly, you hardly ever sleep, and it's even starting to affect your grades; you've never let that happen before!" Mimi reasoned, her eyes filled with sadness as she watched Izzy.

"You're starting to sound like my mom," he joked, trying to get himself out of the conversation, but he knew it wouldn't work. Mimi still looked at him with those sad eyes. "I know. But…that's why I've got you. To keep me sane and all that."

That earned him a small smile, at least, and at the moment, Izzy would take it. Seizing the opportunity, he leaned down and captured her lips in his own. Unfortunately, they were cut off right in the middle by a particular beeping sound coming from the office.

The office…

Izzy let go of Mimi and bolted for the room, not caring that he was tripping over every unpacked cardboard box in his way. He could just clean all of that up later, but this was too important.

In all the years he'd been working on the gate program, not once had it ever made a sound like this. It may not have been very significant to a lot of people, but it was to him. He had specifically designed the program to only do so if…

_Digital World Gate Diagnostics_

_Point of Origin: established_

_Destination: locked_

_Power levels: green_

_Gate: open_

"Oh my God," Mimi whispered to herself when she saw what the screen said. Izzy was still too shocked to move a single muscle; his mouth was agape and his eyes were glued to the monitor as though he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Mimi reached into her pocket for her cell phone.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Kari Kamiya loved to dance. It was the only time when she could ever forget about everything in her life, and release all of her energy in the best way she knew how to. It was an art, it was a talent, and she cherished it deeply.

The group of friends she usually danced with consisted of people with all sorts of different backgrounds. From ballet, to ballroom dancing, to lyrical, and even to hip hop; their styles were so different, but they managed to intermingle their specific talents so well together that they were considered some of the best dancers in the region. Kari was proud of that. She was a lyrical dancer herself, never really having much interest in some of the other genres as she felt that she wasn't able to express herself as well.

Everyone else had already left practice a long time ago. Kari was alone in the dance studio, wanting to get away from the thoughts that were plaguing her mind so much lately.

Kari wished that her brother was still with her.

Tai would have been going into his second year of university at the age of twenty. She would often wonder which degree he would have wanted to pursue, or even if he would have pursued a degree at all. Of course, knowing both of their parents, the option of not going into post-secondary education was no option at all.

While it was true that Tai Kamiya was infamous for being a slacker and was extremely gifted at soccer, she didn't believe that he would have followed it through as a profession. Tai would have wanted to keep it as a hobby; something he could do for fun. It was something she had always loved about her big brother. He was able to bring so much joy into her life, yet also become the serious leader or protective brother when the time called for it.

Kari would be graduating from high school in about two years. It was her second last year, and she could only hope that they would find Tai so he wouldn't miss anything else in the lives of his friends and family.

She refused to ever lose hope, which was something her blonde best friend had taught her years ago.

Little did Kari know that her never-ending hope would not be in vain when her phone rang.

--

The stadium was packed full of loyal fans, and even though it wasn't as crowded as it used to be when the band was in high school, the fans were still cheering and singing along as loud as ever.

Matt Ishida looked over to the side of the stage, and he could see the one person who had been present for every single one of his concerts no matter what. Sora Takenouchi smiled warmly at him as he continued singing with all of his heart.

"You can't take nothing for granted, you've gotta live like today," Matt sang. "I turn around, I can see what's behind me. And I turn back around, I can see what's ahead. And if you don't believe I'll be here all along, just turn around."

The Teenage Wolves weren't technically teenagers anymore, and they weren't as popular as when they first started performing, but they still liked to hold a few concerts every once in a while simply for nostalgia's sake. Each member had grown into a proud young adult, and most of them were in their second year of university, including Matt Ishida. Surprisingly enough, he had developed an interest in outer space when he was in high school, and was pursuing a degree in aerospace engineering.

Sora already knew before the concert even began that this was their last piece before it ended. Of course, it would take a while before everyone in the stadium was satisfied with their autographs and pictures, so she made sure she had a magazine with her to pass the time. Usually, she would've taken her notes and textbooks to study, but it was in fact spring break, so she could do whatever she wanted before the beginning of the school year.

She blinked when she heard her phone ring. When she looked at the number displayed on the screen, she realized it was from Mimi.

--

Joe Kido sat peacefully in the coffee shop, relaxing as he took a small sip from his much needed caffeine. Many students attending medical school relied heavily on the black substance in bulk; it was practically a means of survival.

Even though it was already early in the evening, he still needed the caffeine because he was so used to pulling all-nighters and ruining his sleeping patterns that his body was completely out of sync. It was quite ironic, since he was the one going to be a doctor someday and telling others not to ruin their health. Joe couldn't really help it, though, since he had developed his addiction three years ago when he first started med school. At least he didn't have to attend any classes for another few weeks, so he figured he would enjoy his time while he still had the chance.

Unfortunately, all of his thoughts on relaxation were cut short when his phone rang, and a few minutes later he was running out the door.

--

A seventeen year old teenager with reddish-brown hair coughed violently as a few people he knew from his local high school dunked his head into the toilet once again. He'd lost track of how many times they had done this in the last hour, but he was starting to get used to having to hold his breath without a single notice.

The only reason he was at school was because he was trying out for the school's soccer team again, but his anxiousness and lack of confidence made him seriously mess up, just like the year before, and he was harassed by the boys' basketball team because of it.

Suddenly, the door to the washroom opened and a boy with blonde hair shouted in surprise.

"What do you think you're doing?!" TK Takaishi yelled at the other members of the basketball team.

"Yo, TK! So how's the team captain been? Ready for another year of kicking some serious-"

"I asked you a question, so you'd better answer it, Hachi" TK cut him off without any hesitation.

The boy that was called Hachi stopped what he was saying and only smiled mockingly.

"I was just teaching my new friend here not to make a fool of himself. I'm just helping the guy out, really. I mean, one day, someone way worse than I am is gonna come along and really beat the living daylights outta him. People who suck as much as this kid need to learn to stay invisible, like good little mutts," Hachi said in a sneering voice. The rest of the team that was with him laughed alongside him until TK punched Hachi in the face.

"Get out of here now, and maybe I'll forget that you were just harassing another student. Maybe," TK threatened, knowing full well that this could lead to Hachi's suspension, or worse. Besides that, TK knew that Hachi wouldn't ever want to disgrace his family's name for fear of complete isolation from the rest of his family.

"Man, TK, you're just way too soft," Hachi said while rubbing his sore cheek with the back of his hand. He walked out of the door, followed by the rest of the team who didn't even dare look at TK, let alone say anything.

TK walked up to the boy with the reddish-brown hair who was still sprawled out in front of the toilet, his head completely drenched. The blonde took out a towel from his duffel bag and handed it over to him.

"Here, you can dry yourself off with this," he offered. The other boy took it silently and started towel drying his hair. "Hey, um, I'm really sorry about what they did to you. I'll be sure to have a word with Hachi the next time I see him."

"I…I don't…need…anyone else from the b-basketball team…helping me," he stuttered. "'Specially…th-the…c-captain."

TK sighed, not knowing what he could say to that. He was extremely talented at the game, and that was the only reason he joined the team and managed to become the captain, even though he was only going into his second year of high school. There were a few members that were good people, but most of them were actually a lot like Hachi. It made TK ashamed of even being a part of the school's basketball team, but he figured he could do more good trying to stop Hachi and the rest of the team as their leader rather than a simple bystander.

"Hey, so what's your name?" TK asked finally, deciding that changing the subject was the best course of action.

"D-Davis. Davis Motomiya," the boy with the reddish-brown hair replied.

"Well, Davis, when I was watching you try out for the soccer team, I noticed that you have quite a bit of talent. You know, some really good friends of mine were really big into soccer, so I have a bit if an eye for it now," TK said.

"Really? Who?" Davis asked, now completely intrigued by how nice the captain of the horrible basketball team was.

"Well, one of them is Sora who's in university now, but she converted into a tennis player a few years ago," TK joked, and that earned him a raised eyebrow from Davis. "The other…well, nevermind. But take it from me when I say that all you need is a little bit of confidence."

Davis stared at TK's eyes for a good while, trying to discern whether or not he was genuine in his words. His innocent baby blue eyes made it hard to believe that this was the infamous captain of the basketball team who had led their school to complete domination of the city championships only in his first year of high school.

"Thanks, I guess," Davis said after a moment.

Their conversation was cut short when TK's phone started to ring, which was probably a good thing since neither of them knew what else to say after that. TK took one good look at the screen, and before Davis knew it, the blonde was rushing out the door.

"Uh…hey, you forgot your towel!"

--

Izzy and Mimi could hear knocking from the front door, and even though it was still an hour before everyone had to meet, both of them already knew that some of the Digidestined would arrive early.

"A thousand yen says that's Kari," Mimi said, and Izzy just laughed to himself as he went to open the door.

The young woman walked into Izzy's apartment and greeted them both cheerfully. Kari was doing a lot better than they had both imagined, but then again, she was a Kamiya. Mimi couldn't help but comment on how beautiful Kari was turning out to be, and that her yellow skirt, pink and white top, and brown belt went absolutely wonderful together. Obviously, none of them were going to venture into the Digital World with anything short of running shoes, but a girl had to keep fashionable no matter what, according to the Digidestined of Sincerity.

Kari noticed a small backpack and a messenger bag that were most likely packed with medical supplies, food, and water. All of them knew only to bring the essentials; even clothes were packed in as a limited an amount as possible, as odd as that sounded after living in such a comfortable lifestyle for so many years. Kari's own small backpack consisted of those items, along with some other things she thought would be useful.

"So am I the first one here?" Kari asked, trying to sound casual.

"Yep. Why don't you make yourself comfortable while we wait for the others?" Izzy said as he took a cookie from a tray of snacks that Mimi no doubt had prepared for them. "Or at least try to…sorry for the lack of a couch," he finished lamely.

"That's alright," Kari said, unable to control her giggling. She settled for sitting on the floor of the living room. "How long do you think the others will take?"

"Well, you are here a little early. I'm pretty sure the others will be coming soon, though." Izzy said, trying to comfort the younger Digidestined.

Kari may have seemed completely relaxed and cheerful when she first arrived, but her restlessness was starting to become more and more noticeable. The couple could hardly blame her, but knowing how stubborn and reckless a Kamiya could be from personal experience, they couldn't help but become slightly worried.

"Oh, I made these delicious chocolate chip-" Mimi began, but was cut off when Kari said the one thing both Mimi and Izzy were afraid to hear.

"I wanna go on ahead."

The entire room went completely silent, and Izzy even stopped mid-bite. The elder Digidestined both stared at Kari awkwardly, not exactly knowing what to say to her. Kari took the silence as a cue to continue speaking.

"Tai's been in the Digital World for the past six years already. Who knows what could've happened to him? We were even under attack before he got trapped there! We don't even know if he…look, I just don't want to wait any longer. He might need us! He might need _me_. And now that the gate's open, every second counts," she explained in desperation.

"Kari…honey, I know where you're coming from. But I honestly don't think you should go alone; it's not safe," Mimi tried to reason.

"When was the Digital World ever safe?" a new voice asked from the side. TK was standing at the front entrance leading into Izzy's apartment with the door still ajar behind him. "Sorry, the door was open and I could hear you guys, so I just let myself in."

Izzy brushed it off aside easily and told the blonde to come inside. TK placed his own packed backpack beside the others and sat down on the hardwood floor with the rest of them.

"Kari, maybe you should think a little on what you're considering here," TK said gently. "We don't have much of an idea of what's going to be on the other side of that gate; we don't know where we'll end up. We also don't know where Tai could possibly be, and the Digital World is a huge place. The last thing we need is two lost Kamiyas to look for." TK joked. Kari seemed contemplative as he spoke to her. "You and I both know that we're stronger as a group; we've witnessed the strength that we can achieve together before lots of times," he reasoned.

"I agree with TK," Izzy added, just to reinforce the point that they were trying to make.

Kari sighed.

"Fine, you guys win. But the others better get here soon," she said with a teasing smile, and the others relaxed immediately.

As if on cue, Joe was the next person to knock on the door and to be greeted by everyone already present. He carried the same messenger bag that he had traveled with all those years ago in the Digital World, saying how he felt it was appropriate. It was quite amazing how it was still in such a good condition after being potentially incinerated a dozen times.

Matt and Sora arrived shortly after that, and Izzy noted how everyone was at least half an hour early in his mind. Although insignificant, it was a testament to how much Tai Kamiya meant to all of them as a leader, a friend, and a brother.

"Wow, this is long time no see for some of you guys," Matt said to everyone, and nodded to TK who returned the gesture.

The seven Digidestined entered Izzy's office, each carrying a bag of some sorts and of course, their digivices. It was the first time they had ever seen the gate open on his computer, and seeing was believing, after all.

It was real.

They were going to find Tai and bring him home.

"_We're getting overrun here! I don't know how much longer the Digimon can last!"_

Failure was not an option.

"_It's alright! Greymon and Garurumon will hold him off as long as possible! The rest of you, get to the gate!"_

Every single one of them had been waiting for this day to come for what seemed like an eternity. It had been so many years that all hope seemed to have been lost, but there was always that tiny voice inside their heads, telling them that it would come. It was just a matter of time.

"_Tai! You'd better be right behind me, or else I'll come back and personally hunt you down!"_

Kari walked over to Izzy.

"Thank you."

He took a glance at the brunette girl beside him.

"What for?" he asked.

"For never giving up."

"_Alright, alright, I'm gonna be right behind you! Yeesh, work on your threats, buddy."_

They realized that nothing could ever prepare them for what lay ahead, but they were the Digidestined, and nothing could shatter their resolve.

With a bright flash of light, the seven young adults who were once such small children, once again disappeared into the Digital World.

"_Tai, get going while you still can!" Greymon persisted to tell his partner while he was holding off the mysterious Digimon that had attacked the Digidestined as they were leaving. _

"_Wait, but, why can't you guys come back with us?! I can't leave all of you guys behind like this!" Tai argued, completely filled with worry for his partner and the rest of the Digimon. _

"_We can't go. After the gate closes, it'll be closed permanently. We belong in this world," Garurumon explained, and the others nodded their heads in agreement. _

"_This is just the way it has to be," Gatomon added. _

_Tai took one last look at Greymon. He was only doing this so that Tai could have a chance to get back home. He closed his eyes shut, willing the tears to go away, and he quickly dashed for the gate before he could change his mind. _

_The glowing portal was shrinking rapidly, and he was just so far away from it. He ran as fast as he could, but it never seemed like he was making any progress. Tai made one last ditch effort as he dove for the closing gate._

_But he was too late._

_Tai was trapped._

A young man in his early twenties looked up into the sky as he noticed a brilliant display of light coming from the east. It shone off of his goggles, and he had to bring up his gloved hand to shield his eyes. He could feel a small breeze pass by, and his brunette hair swayed gently in the wind.

"Did you see that?" a voice next to him asked.

"Yeah," he replied. "I wonder what it was."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Japan School Year: Most schools in Japan actually start their school year after spring break, with the first semester lasting until the summer where they get a summer break because of the intensity of the heat.

Davis Motomiya: I have nothing against him! I actually like the guy, but again, I wanted to further demonstrate how much of an affect Tai's disappearance causes. From how I saw it in the anime, Tai was a lot like Davis' mentor, and most likely the one who got him into being a good soccer player in the first place. I believe that, without Tai, Davis would have lost some of that obnoxious confidence that we all love and cherish in both leaders. Hm, perhaps I'll do a one-shot about this...

Yen: The currency for Japan, with a thousand yen being like, ten bucks-ish in Canada.

I will try my absolute best to incorporate every single one of the Digidestined in my story. Unfortunately, with so many of them, it'll be quite difficult since some of them are bound to get more "screen time" than the rest. However, I do have plans for the characters that don't usually have a lot of focus, like Joe and Mimi.

Believe it or not, I'm a huge Takari fan, but I didn't want to be all mushy with them, otherwise this fanfiction could turn out to be quite biased. Instead, I'm focusing more on the Sorato and Koumi couples, which are actually really fun to write!

And I think that's it! Please review and tell me what you think so far!


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Sora awoke to a smooth and gentle voice calling her name. She knew it all too well, and when she opened her eyes she was able to distinguish the figure hovering over her as Matt.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered. The tall musician helped her stand steady in the lush field that the Digidestined had landed in. Unlike in their world, there were no sounds of birds, squirrels, or other animals, as most of the sentient beings in this world were digital monsters.

Sora looked around to see that everyone else was already up and about. The field was surrounded by tall trees, which meant that they were most likely in some kind of forest. The lack of any visible mountains in the area suggested that they were on the continent of Server instead of File Island.

Izzy was already typing on the new laptop he had received for university, and Mimi was sitting beside him on a large rock they found. TK had walked quite some distance away from the group, but remained close enough so that they were still within shouting range. It was obvious he was checking out the area for any type of indication as to where they were or where they should even go. Kari and Joe were talking politely amongst themselves as they stood closer to the majority of their little gathering.

"It looks like the sun is going to set soon," Sora said as she looked up into the sky.

"We should find some place to set up camp and get started on some real traveling in the morning," Matt suggested.

"It's probably not the best idea to do that out here in the open where any stray Digimon can attack. Let's head into the forest and get our bearings before the sun completely sets," Izzy said, shutting off his laptop and putting it into his backpack.

"Hey Teeks!" Matt shouted loudly. TK turned around and looked at the rest of the group. "We're heading into the forest! Let's go!"

They could see the blonde basketball player run quickly over to them, and within a matter of seconds he was standing next to Sora with a grin on his face without a single sign of fatigue.

"Have a nice nap?" he teased.

"Oh yeah, I dreamt that you weren't such a wise guy."

They both laughed quietly to themselves as everyone else rolled their eyes. It wasn't long before they reached the edge of the forest and traversed deeper into it.

"Hopefully we'll be able to find a water source somewhere close by. I only have enough to last me a day or so," Joe said as he picked a few berries from a nearby bush.

"I'm pretty sure I heard running water when I was looking around the field. It should be that way," TK said, pointing towards the setting sun.

"West it is," Matt declared, taking on the position as temporary leader without even having to say it out loud.

As they walked, they talked amongst themselves about their current lives. It was something to get their mind off of the task ahead of them. Getting to the Digital World was the easy part, at least for everyone besides Izzy. Finding Tai was like trying to find a needle in a very, very big haystack.

Matt walked at the front of the group, and took out a small dagger from his drawstring bag to clear a path through the thickness of the forest. Everyone else followed close behind him, with TK and Joe bringing up the rear of the group. The medical student's blue hair contrasted with the surroundings of the forest as he stopped once in a while to pick up some nuts or berries that he could see.

It didn't take long before they really could hear running water close by. The seven Digidestined picked up their pace slightly, and soon enough, they had reached a river.

"Looks like there's a small clearing that way. How about we set up camp there?" Matt proposed, and no objections were heard.

Setting up camp was simple for them, since they were so used to it from the first time they were in this world. They separated the tasks amongst themselves, and soon enough, they had finished making the clearing comfortable enough to eat and sleep in. Joe managed to catch some fish from the river, and Sora set up the fire. It wasn't long before supper was cooking and they didn't even have to use any of the emergency supplies they had brought.

"Oh!" Mimi exclaimed suddenly. She reached into her messenger bag and took out a few containers. They were all labeled intricately with unique designs, and most anyone could tell they were spices with just a mere glance. "When we were here the first time the food was always so bland, so I brought these for some flavor!"

"Mimi, what happened to packing lightly? I told you not to bring so much stuff," Izzy berated, unable to help himself.

"Well it's not like these take up that much room in my bag. And besides, spices can really boost your appetite and make traveling through the Digital World that much more bearable, thus raising group morale!" she finished sweetly.

And so, the red-headed genius was silenced.

"Can't argue with that," Kari joked.

"No kidding," Sora replied sarcastically.

After that, Mimi took over the cooking, absentmindedly humming to herself as she added a few spices and made sure nothing burnt. Once she taste tested her culinary masterpieces, she deemed it worthy for consumption and called everyone for a late supper.

They mostly ate in silence; the small talk was already over and done with. The group was too engrossed in their own thoughts until suddenly, Joe spoke up.

"I wonder what happened to our Digimon."

This simple statement caused everyone to stop eating, and they all looked down to the ground in silence. The only sound that could be heard was the fire still cracking in the middle of the circle that they had formed.

"I've actually been thinking about that," Izzy admitted, unknowingly breaking the awkward atmosphere with his thirst for knowledge. "Don't you think it was more than just a coincidence that right after we all gave up our crests that allowed our Digimon to digivolve into the ultimate level, some mysterious Digimon ambushes us? The likelihood of that is slim to none at best."

"My thoughts exactly," Matt said. "It was planned."

"It seemed like he was a mega level Digimon. All of our Digimon combined in the champion level couldn't defeat him," Sora said, biting the tip of her thumb.

"Right; it makes you wonder what happened after the gate closed," Joe said.

Kari was silent throughout the whole conversation, and her hands gripped the edge of her skirt in apprehension. TK noticed this from his spot beside her.

"I think our first course of action should be to gather information then," the blonde said. "The more we know about what happened that day, the better our chances are at finding Tai."

"I second that notion," Matt said.

And just like that, the gloomy topic was over and they began to eat again; this time with more conversation among the group. Even though they were still as lost as they were five minutes ago, they at least had a small semblance of a plan that they all agreed on. It was a start.

Later that night, when everyone had finished eating and had cleaned everything up in the river, they fell asleep under a blanket of stars. Matt immediately volunteered to take the first watch. He sat off to the side of the group, not wanting to listen to their snoring. Some things just never changed.

He looked around the area with keen eyes again and again. Matt made sure not to miss a single thing as he kept a lookout for anything and anyone that could potentially ambush them. Although, without their Digimon, it would be difficult to put up a defense even if they knew an attack was coming in advance. Still, the Digidestined would never go down without a fight, and they did their best to give themselves any chance they could get.

He heard a noise from the side and whipped his head around as he gripped the same dagger that he had used to clear the path through the forest. There was a shadow approaching, but Matt could already make out who it was from the silhouette.

"Sora, you should go back to bed," Matt said before he could even see her face clearly.

"I couldn't sleep," she said, and sat down beside him.

Sora smiled at him and he couldn't help but return the gesture. She looked up at the moon and stars in the sky, contemplative, but not troubled. She gently nudged Matt in the side.

"You okay?"

Matt blinked in surprise as he watched the slim figure beside him.

"I'm fine."

"No you're not."

He blinked again. Matt thought he had been doing a pretty good job at hiding his feelings; even TK hadn't noticed that anything was wrong with him. At least, his brother hadn't mentioned anything about it. Sora always had this uncanny ability to read him like a book, but he pushed that thought aside and figured that the truth was usually the best route to take.

"Just thinking about Tai," he confessed finally. "It's hard to believe he's been here for the past six years."

"I know what you mean," Sora said, losing the smile that had been gracing her lips earlier. Her expression turned melancholic as she switched her gaze from the sky to Matt.

"I don't think you do," Matt said softly. "I was there with him when the gate was about to close. I thought he was right behind me, but even before I left I had this terrible feeling that he wasn't gonna make it. I should've stayed behind or something…made sure that he would get to the gate safely."

"It wasn't your fault."

"I…I think it was," he said quietly, almost as though he were afraid of the words coming out of his mouth. "There wasn't even enough time to get to know him after we defeated the Dark Masters and went back to our world. Two years isn't enough time to spend with the best friend I've ever had in my life."

"There's never enough time with a friend like Tai; he's one of a kind," Sora added. "But that's why we're here now. We're going to find him, and we'll bring him back home with us no matter what," she finished, looking fiercely determined. There was a fire in her eyes that burned with conviction. The corner's of Matt's lips twitched and went up a little.

"You think so?"

"I know so."

Slowly, almost magically, they moved closer and closer to each other. Sora placed a hand on his cheek and Matt wrapped his arms around her as they moved in to…

"Did you hear that?" Matt asked, abruptly ending their moment together. The two young adults both looked in the direction of the sound, trying to see if there was anything out in the forest to confirm their thoughts.

Not wanting to take a chance with waiting, Sora broke apart their embrace and ran to the others to wake them up as Matt took out his dagger, hoping to whatever deities that existed in this world that it was a very friendly, very nice Digimon that didn't want to eat them.

No such luck.

Something tore through the ground across the river and ripped through everything in his path; a Snimon flew high into the air and swooped over their campsite. The force of the wind that came afterwards almost sent the Digidestined flying into the air, but fortunately they were all able to hold their ground.

"What do we do?!" Joe asked frantically, gripping his hair with his hands.

"Any ideas?!" Matt asked, looking around at the rest of the group. Everyone's eyes then landed on Izzy.

"Hey! Why are you all looking at me?! I spend all day looking at computer codes, not battle tactics against a giant praying mantis!"

"Water! Bugs hate water!" Kari shouted and ran for the river. Everyone else followed closely behind her. They were all waist deep in the freezing water, but it seemed to be working. Snimon didn't follow them in the river, but he was still circling above them in the air.

"Oh great, Snimon has long range attacks too," Sora remarked, remembering her last encounter with this particular type of Digimon. "I guess we'll have to get him before he decides to get us, but none of us will be strong enough to actually fight him."

"Oh!" Joe exclaimed all of a sudden. "I've got a flare in my bag!"

"Why'd you bring one of those? It's not like there'd be rescue planes in the Digital World," Matt joked, but silently thanked the med student for being so paranoid.

"I think it's safe to assume that he'll be the most vulnerable in the eyes and mouth…although I don't see any eyes on that thing," Izzy said. "Who's got good aim?"

It was only after Izzy asked this question did everyone turn their heads to TK.

"Uh…I throw orange balls into a perfectly harmless net that doesn't bite? Doesn't anyone besides me see a difference here?" TK tried to argue.

"But you're the best person we have for the job, and we need someone to run out of the river to get my bag and find the flare inside it first," Joe said casually as though he were reciting something out of his textbooks.

"Oh, well since you put it that way," TK said sarcastically. He took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing."

"You can do it, TK," Kari said softly beside him, and he nodded to her gratefully.

The Digidestined of Hope made his way to the edge of the river slowly, trying not to gain Snimon's attention. Unfortunately for him, Snimon did notice, so TK made a mad dash towards the campsite, practically faster than anyone had ever seen someone move. He distinguished the red cross on Joe's messenger bag immediately and grabbed it with one fell swoop.

Snimon was flying after him as TK ran into the forest carrying Joe's bag in his arms like a child. He opened it as he ran, not noticing as some food and medical supplies flew out and crashed to the ground behind him. He rummaged through it, trying to locate the flare, and after he threw out the large hoodie that was blocking everything from his view, he found it.

TK abruptly dropped the bag on the dirt beneath him and turned around in time to see Snimon on his tail. The blonde waited a few seconds longer until he was close enough. With a single motion, he yanked the pull-string that was poking out of the side of the flare and fired it directly at Snimon's mouth.

The intense heat and light from the combustion in the flare was completely inhaled by the insect Digimon and Snimon stopped in its tracks entirely. Noticing that the red stick in his hands was still firing, TK literally ran up to the giant praying mantis and approached him as though he were about to perform a power lay-up. He threw it directly into his mouth and bolted away without looking back.

Unfortunately, the plan didn't exactly work. He only delayed the insect as Snimon quickly regained its composure and went chasing after TK. Hopefully, he'd be able to outrun the bug before he reached the river since he already had a head start.

"Hey ugly! Over here!" Matt shouted from a distance. The elder brother had gone after TK, concerned at how long he was taking.

Snimon stopped chasing TK and hovered in the air, most likely pondering which brother to go after. The sound from his wings grew louder, and he flew straight towards Matt as TK and the others could only watch helplessly as Snimon released a Twin Sickles attack at their temporary leader.

"_Matt!_" TK shouted hysterically.

Before anyone knew it, a powerful flaming projectile rammed into Snimon, and the giant green insect crashed into the trees behind him. When the bug Digimon untangled himself from the branches, Snimon quickly flew away, not wanting to get in the way of whoever had attacked him.

Matt, having closed his eyes shut earlier, was wondering why he wasn't in heaven yet (or hell, he supposed), so he opened his eyes. Snimon was no longer attacking them, and loud footsteps came in the other direction. He gulped.

An extremely large humanoid figure appeared from the shadows wearing nothing but black pants and leather straps around his left wrist. It was the first friendly face they had seen in what seemed like a life time.

"Leomon!" Matt exclaimed.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

I've got the main plot and most of the key events figured out for this story, and I doubt it'll be anything very big. It'll most likely be ten-ish chapters? I'm setting a smaller goal for myself this time so that I'll be more likely to actually finish it...I hope.

I'm trying my best to incorporate each character equally, so please tell me if you feel like someone in the group is being left out. I also hope the pacing is okay. I don't want to overwhelm you guys with too much information all at once, but at the same time, I don't want to make you guys feel lost either. Constructive criticism on these two areas and anything else you can think of is very much appreciated.

Please review!


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